1.(H)/12 (2nd)
1.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 12 (2d Formation)
Code: (H1 + )
Formation and Training. (Nov 38 - Aug 39)
Formed 1 November 1938 at Münster (ex-1.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14) with He 46s, but converted to the Henschel Hs 126 during the first half of 1939.[1]
West - Phony War. (Sep 39 - May 40)
5.8.39: at Münster until receipt of general mobilization orders 25-26 August and then, according to one source, deployed to a field airstrip at Wengerohr/26 km SW of Cochem with 12 Hs 126s and assigned to Generalkommando Eifel along the border with Luxembourg between the Mosel and Saar rivers. However, another source (Dierich) maintains that the Staffel took part in the Polish campaign in central Poland in support of X. Armeekorps/AOK 8, advancing to the Bzura River and then to Warsaw. Perhaps elements operated in both locations, but the version in Dierich is weak and cannot be confirmed.
Campaign West - Attack on France and the Low Countries. (May 40 - 1941)
1939-40: Staffel based at Mannheim during the winter of 1939-40.
10.5.40: deployed on a forward strip, possibly near Wiltingen/10 km S of Trier - under Koluft AOK 16 for the attack on France this date and assigned to support XXIII. Armeekorps through Luxembourg along a line of advance from the Trier area to Verdun.
16.5.40 – 8.6.40: supported German forces deployed along the Maginot Line.
21.5.40: an Hs 126 from the Staffel shot down over NE France - no details.
9-15.6.40: supported the advance through Champagne and across the Aisne River.
16.6.40: Hs 126 shot down by AA-fire in the vicinity of Domveric in Brittany?
16-23.6.40: moved south with the advance to a point just south of Lyon.
24.6. – 6.7.40: deployed along the demarcation line in the vicinity of Lyon.
14.11.40: 2 Hs 126B-1s damaged in a storm at Fp. Lessay on the west coast of Normandy opposite the Channel Islands, 25% and 15%.
15.12.40: Hs 126 force landed near Dunkirk in bad weather, 50%. Staffel converted to the Fw 189 during the first half of 1941, presumably in Germany.
North Russia. (Jun 41 - Mar 42)
12.5.41: Fi 156 damaged taxiing at Graudenz/55 km N of Thorn (Torun) in West Prussia, 15%.
22.6.41: Trakehnen/Ost (Jasnaja Poljana)/East Prussia under Koluft AOK 16/Army Group North and assigned to support XXVIII. Armeekorps along a line of advance from the East Prussian frontier to Kaunas/Lithuania, the Daugavpils area in Latvia, Novgorod at the north end of Lake Ilmen (August) and the Leningrad area (September). The Staffel operated mainly from open fields close to the front during the advance. Most of the Staffel’s missions were armed reconnaissance with attacks on targets of opportunity such as enemy vehicle columns, artillery emplacements and Flak positions with both bombs and aircraft armament.
27.6.41: operating from Kaunas/Lithuania.
9.7.41: flew numerous sorties in support of a breakthrough by the 296. Inf.Div.
10.7.41: operating from Dünaburg/Ost (Daugavpils/East)/Latvia and still there on 19.07.41.
20.7.41: operating from field airstrip Pruzhki near Opochka.
23.7.41: Fw 189A-1 shot up over Opochka/SSE of Pskov, 35%.
26.7.41: Staffel still in support of XXVIII. AK - 2 Fw 189 replacements coded “P” and “KM+QK)” being sent to Fp.Dno/120 km E of Pskov on 28 July for the Staffel, where it was based on 28 July flying missions in the Cholm (Kholm) and Staraya Russa area.
13.8.41: Dno - recce missions in the Shimsk area/SW of Novgorod at the N end of Lake Ilmen.
16.8.41: photographed the Volkhov sector from Novgorod to Chudovo.
23.8.41: Fw 189A-1 (H1+BH) failed to return from a recce flight in the Chudovo area between Lake lImen and Leningrad, 100%, 1 WIA and 2 MIA.
11.9.41: now based at Chudovo - recce missions E of Novgorod.
23.9.41: photographed the Chudovo area.
29.9.41: Fw 189 shot up by a fighter over Oranienbaum near Leningrad, 20%. Staffel probably at Fp. Chudovo during latter part of September.
13.10.41: Fw 189A-1 crash landed at Fp. Zhary/c.50 km S of Leningrad, 15%.
11.41 – 3.42: with the end of offensive operations in North Russia and the arrival of winter weather, 1.(H)/12 was temporarily inactivated and left the area for Germany and France to rest and refit. By then, it had flown 459 operational sorties in the East under Koflug AOK 16.
14.1.42: now under Gruppenfliegerstab 32, although still in Germany and France refitting.
1.3.42: Staffel reported 8 x Fw 189A-1 on strength.
27.3.42: a Bücker Bü 131 belonging to 1.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 12 was reported damaged while taking off or landing at Fp. Marcilly la Campagne (Illiers)/25 km SW of Chartres, 10%.
19.4.42: Gruppenfliegerstab 32 renamed Stab/NAGr. 15 on or about this date in Germany or France.
Central Russia. (Jun 42 - Mar 43)
23.5.42: Fw 189 A-2 (Wk.Nr. 2281) hit by AA fire but made it back to base, 10%, 1 WIA.
14.6.42: Staffel at Orel (had just arrived) and assigned to NAGr. 15 in support of 2. Panzerarmee, specifically LIII. Armeekorps.
8.7.42: Fw 189 shot down by a fighter near Kireikovo, 100%, 1 KIA.
13.8.42: Fw 189 shot up by AA-fire over Bolkhov/N of Orel, 25%, Oblt. Edmund Karez (observer) + 1 KIA.
1.10.42: Staffel reported 8 x Fw 189A-1 on strength.
8.10.42: 1 aircrew member KIA by AA-fire near Mtsensk/NE of Orel; aircraft apparently not damaged.
16.1.43: 1 aircrew member WIA by an attacking fighter over Pl.Qu. 8315 (east of Orel).
7.2.43: Staffel still based at Orel under NAGr. 15.
11.2.43: Oblt. Sebastian Nussrainer (observer) WIA by ground fire south of Droskovo/87 km SE of Orel.
1.3.43: Staffel reported 2 x Fw 189A-1, 4 x Fw 189A-2 and 1 x Fw 189A-3 on strength.
8.3.43: an aircrew gunner WIA by an attacking fighter north of Maloarkhangelsk between Orel and Kursk. These last five Loss Report entries present something of a puzzle - why is there no mention of any aircraft being damaged in these incidents? Were the individuals concerned, all of whom belonged to 1.(H)/12, flying temporarily with another Staffel in that Staffel’s aircraft?
3.43: renamed Nahaufklärungsstaffel 11./12 and remained assigned to NAGr. 15.
FpN:1.(H)/12 (L 01695)
Staffelkapitän:
Hptm. Johann Ruff, deputy Staka (? - 10 Aug 41) 14.02.41, 27.6.41
Hptm. Wolf-Friedrich Schöne (10 Aug 41 - 11 Feb 43)
© H.L. deZeng IV, 2021
Additional Notes and Losses
26.8.42: At Kusnezy under NAGr. 15, Pz.AOK 2.[2]
References
- ↑ J.-P.Défieux - Répertoire des Unités Aériennes de la Luftwaffe 1935-1945: Reconnaissance Aéronavale (Nanterre, privately published, n.d. (c 1988-90?); K.Ries - Luftwaffen Story 1935-1939; Tessin, Georg, Deutsche Verbände und Truppen 1918-1939: Altes Heer, Freiwilligenverbände, Reichswehr, Heer, Luftwaffe, Landespolizei; G.Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945, 16+ Bde., Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte (Osnabrück, 1980); W.Dierich - Die Verbände der Luftwaffe 1935-1945: Gliederungen und Kurzchroniken – Eine Dokumentation; N.Kannapin - Die deutsche Feldpostübersicht 1939-1945; U.Balke - Der Luftkrieg in Europa: Die Operativen Einsätze des Kampfgeschwader 2 im Zweiten Weltkrieg, Teil I, p.397; M.Meyer/P.Stipdonk - Von der Fliegerschule zum Einsatzverband: Ein Bildband der deutschen Luftwaffe 1933-1945, p.75; AFHRA Maxwell decimal Karlsruhe Collection KC-Kl13.309-3/ v.1; PRO London: AIR 40/1975; BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); BA-MA Freiburg: Flugzeug-Bereitstellungen (Aircraft Availability Status Reports – FzB) in: M.Holm-website (ww2.dk); NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-313 roll 111/201, roll 155/058); NARA WashDC aerial photo data via M.Abicht.
- ↑ Gliederung (einsatzmßig) und Standorte der fliegenden Verbände des Lw.Kdo.Ost, Stand 26.8.42